DISEASES OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 125 



amount of exercise, blister ; keep it in a nice level box. You will find 

 the result is detention of the bursae, which, although it does not seem 

 lame, is a great eye-sore. Sometimes there is a tendency to go upon the 

 toe. When heels grow very long, and it is necessary to bring the foot 

 into position and apply a stifle shoe, apply it to the affected limb, and 

 not, as originally applied, to the sound limb, to cause the weight to be 

 thrown upon the affected limb. There is a little projecting piece to the 

 toe of ^such a shoe. 



Semi-lunar Cartilages Become Injured.— This is very troublesome, 

 and generally gives rise to permanent lameness. The lameness is similar 

 to other diseases of the joint— difficulty in bringing the leg forward; wasting 

 of the muscles ; some swelling appears, at first soft, but gets harder and 

 harder, and a sort of cartilaginous deposit is the result. It is generally 

 hopeless, bat you might try counter irritation. 



Vastus Muscles are also sprained, and in just about the same way as 

 sprain in the stfle joint ; there is great difficulty in extending the limb, as 

 great almost as in disease of the patella. These symptoms disappear, 

 and then wasting takes place ; the animal drops to a certain extent. It 

 is easily detected by one acquainted with the parts. 



Treatment. — Use counter irritation. I have seen pretty good recovery 

 take place, but sometimes this muscle wastes from azoturia. From this 

 wasting a hollow sometimes extends from the upper to the lower part of 

 the femur, and if there is no disease of the bone or at the attachment of 

 the muscles to the bone, a tolerably good cure may be effected. 



Psoa) Muscles are injured and it is difficult to diagnose. Azoturia is 

 sometimes mistaken for a sprain of these muscles (and I believe they are 

 generally implicated in azoturia.) There may be constitutional disturb- 

 ance, and if you can not detect otherwise, you may examine per rectum, 

 and you may detect enlargement. Give rest, apply heat over the loins, etc. 



Muscles Between the Stifle and Hock. — The flexor metatarsi, if 

 sprained, gives rise to very peculiar symptoms. The injury may be 

 to the belly, the origin, or insertion, but in most cases it is the belly. 

 It may occur in various ways — from running, jumping, etc. 



Symptoms. — If in the belly of the muscle, more or less inflammation 

 is the result ; it loses the power of contraction, and, it being an im- 

 portant muscle, the muscles of the opposite side contract forcibly, 

 and in attempting to move the limb, causes it to hang in a dangling 

 manner, and a person not acquainted with the structure would say 

 that the leg was broken. If the leg is straightened it can bear some 

 weight. You can see a cut of this in Prof. Williams' work. Just 

 think of the action of the muscles, and you will have but little diffi- 

 culty in diagnosing this. It looks very serious to a person not 

 acquainted with the anatomy of the parts, but if the insertion or 

 origin is not injured there are good prospects of recovery, if properly 

 treated. 



Treatment. — Crive rest, keep in a box stall, and allow him to move 

 the limb to some extent. It is not necessary to use slings ; use fomen- 

 tations and stimulating liniments, and perhaps a mild blister, and, 

 after the limb is getting better, give gentle exercise, if the animal will 

 take it. If the animal is gross, give a dose of physic. If the muscle 

 is injured at its origin or insertion, there will be swelling in the 

 parts, but the symptoms are the same. Injuries to the other muscles 

 in this region of the extremity will give rise to symptoms somewhat 

 similar — dangling of the limb, etc. 



Hock Joint. — Diseases of this joint are numerous. A majority of 



